Years ago a women's magazine had craft projects that were good sellers for bazaars. They might have been at one time but not any more. I was a very young knitter looking through my mother's magazines. This is when patterns were still a part of the regular line up of features.
One of the things that stuck with me over the decades was the cat/bear/bunny stuffed animal. I always wanted to make a bunch of them for my future children and for sale. It turned out, selling them for a profit was next to impossible. Being young and not having a large extended family, it was considered strange to make them for children that might never be.
The animals have the same basic body and head until you get to the ears. Sew across the corners or add triangles or tubes to differentiate. However, I've been dissatisfied with it for a long time. The first issue I have with it is the loose gauge. Size 8 US needles and worsted weight yarn is fine and dandy for a sweater. It is not fine for stuffed toys. The fluff stuffed inside shows through or worse migrates out. The next issue I have is the lack of neck. The original pattern has 1x1 ribbing for the neck for a few rows. Stuff these with any amount of firmness and the neck expands. The pattern countered with a ribbon tied around the neck. This becomes a choking hazard for very young children and just doesn't work well. Another issue is the attachment for the arms. They are just sewn on in the approximate location of the shoulders.
What do I like about it?? Quite a lot actually. The pattern is so memorable that decades later I can tell you the basic pattern. It seamed up the inside of each leg, then seam up the middle of the back of the body and head and across the top of the head and ears. It's also worked in garter stitch for the most part, if you want. It's easy enough to adapt the legs to wear pants or shorts, the arms to long sleeves or short. I even worked it out for a dress. I would do the arms as a 4 needle bind off instead of sewing them, but that is more not wanting to sew them on die to laziness.
The reason I am revisiting the pattern is because of my granddaughter who lives local to me. We see her quite a bit more than any of the other kids. She needs toys to play with at Nana and grandpa's house. I'm in favor of kids having to use their imaginations. I am also a firm believer that soft toys should be soft. That's not really what I found at the local stores.
So let's get started.
I suggest worsted weight yarn or bulky weight yarn 1 skein of each color you intend to use, body color, pants color, shirt color. If you don't want your animals wearing clothes, make it 1 color. Use needles half the size normally used for this yarn. I'm using US 7 or 4.5mm with bulky weight yarn. You can use smooth yarn or textured, just not eyelash or similar yarn.
For each leg, cast on 16 sts. Knit 10 rows. Is it wearing pants? Change color, knit 12 rows in stockinette stitch or 22 rows in garter. If this toy isn't wearing pants, k 22 rows. If this animal is wearing shorts, you determine where the shorts start, change color and work until you have the correct number of rows. Make 2 legs.
To start the body, work across both legs in the same color and stitch as the top of the legs. Knit 5 rows of stockinette stitch or 8 rows of garter stitch. Is it wearing a shirt? Change to the shirt color and k 11 rows stockinette stitch or 20 rows of garter stitch. If it's not dressed, continue with body color and stitch.
Shoulders to neck. Continue with body color and stitch, k 5, k2tog, k 2, k2tog, k10, k2tog, k 2, k2tog, k5. Continue with body Color and stitch, k4, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k8, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k4.
Neck to head. Change to the main animal color if needed. K4, kfb, k2, kfb, k8, kfb, k2, kfb, k4. Turn, k5, kfb, k2, kfb, k10, kfb, k2, kfb, k5.
Head. K 10 Row.
Ears. Bear K 7 rows. Bind off.
Cat. K 10, turn, * k2tog, k4, k2tog, turn, k2tog, k2, k2tog, turn, k2tog, k2tog. Bind off. ** With right side facing, attach yarn to stitch next to the ear, k to the end. Repeat from * to **.
Bunny. K 10, turn, * **k5, turn, repeat ** 6 times, k2tog, k1, k2tog. Bind off. *+. With right side facing, repeat * to *+.
Seam and stuff. Fold legs in half lengthwise. Sew across the foot and up the inseam. Repeat for the second leg. Stuff the legs.
Sew up the center back and head. Stuff the body before the head is seamed. Stuff the head before seaming for ears.
Sew across the top of the head and each ear. Stuff the ears before the final closure.
For bear, sew diagonally to "cut off" each corner at the top of the head 4 rows (2 ridges if garter stitch) down and 4 stitches in from the edge.
For Arms. Repeat the leg instructions to the last 2 rows. K1, k2tog, k3, (k2tog)2x, k3 , k2tog, k1, turn, k1, k2tog, k1, (k2tog) 2x, k1, k2tog k1, substitute shirt color for pants for color. Determine if you want long or short sleeves. Fold in half to match leg. Seam across hand and up the arm. Stuff to same firmness of body. Seam shoulder. Sew to the body just below the first row of decreases on each side.
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